Secondary or storage battery.



B. FORD.

SECONDARY 0R STORAGE BATTERY. APPLICATION FILED MAY21. 1913.

Patented Dec. 14, 1915.

WIT/VESSE':

BRUCE FORD, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

SECONDARY OR STORAGE BATTERY.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 14k, 1915..

Application filed May 21, 1913. Serial No. 768,933.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, BRUCE FORD, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Secondary or Storage Batteries, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention is particularly adapted to batterieslfor submarine boats and its objects are to provide against the escape of gas from the battery cell, more especially should the gas exhaust apparatus be stopped or its operation impaired; to provide for agitating the electrolyte and to provide for properly renewing the electrolyte.

The invention will be claimed at the end hereof, but will be first described in connection with the embodiments of it chosen for illustration in the accompanying drawings, in whichi Y Figure 1, is a sectional view of a cell embodying features of the invention. Fig. 2, is a similar view of a portion of a cell embodying the device of the invention shown in Fig. 1 and also additional features of the invention, and Fig. 3, is a sectional view, taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2, looking up.

In the drawings 1 is a storage battery. cell containing electrolyte` 2 and plates or elements 3. The cell 1 is closed except as will be hereinafter pointed out. There are means for exhausting gas and air from the cell 1 so as to ventilate it. As shown 4 is an exhaust main and 5 is a connection from the exhaust main to the interior of the cell.

6 are a series of perforated disks spaced apart by washers 7 and they serve as a spray-baiie or screen.

8 are air inlets and they may be covered or protected by caps 9. One feature of my invention is the provision of sealsfor these air inlets, which seals permit of the ingress of air to the interior of the cell and prevent the egress of gas or air through the air 1nlet 8. The tubes 10 dipping into the elec trolyte constitute liquid seals for the air inlets. sired into the electrolyte and the air passing or bubbling through these seal tubes 10 in rising through the electrolyte, agitates it andthus provides artificial circulation of the electrolyte, which is beneficial, and this benefit becomes greater as the depth to which the seal tubes 10 extend is increased.

These tubes may dip as deeply as def.

As shown in Fig. 1, the cap 11 may be removed 1n order to renew the electrolyte but as shown 1n Fig. 2, a different construction is employed for that purpose.

In Fig. 2, the casing 12 of the cap is provided with'a lateral offtake 5a which leads to the exhaust. The cap 13 is detachably secured to the top of this casing by means of a bayonet or equivalent joint 14. The

cap 13 is provided with a projection 15 by means of which the barrel 16 is turned when the cap is turned. The barrel 16 and the casing 12 are rovided with openings 17 and 18,v which are normally in alinement so that air entering through the seal tubes 10 passes through the openings 17 and 18 and thence through the openings 19 or more accurately, one ofx them, to the yoff-take. When the. cap 13 is turned so as to remove it for filling the barrel is also turned and the opening 19 is then not in alinement with the off-take, nor are the openings 17 and 18 in alinement with each other, hence the with liquid. It may be remarked that during the above described operation the air inlet is sealed by the seal tube. 10.

In use the exhaust creates ventilation by drawing airin through the inlet 6 past the seals 10 and out through the connection 5. Should the exhauster fail, gas may not escape from the cell by reason of the seals 10, which is important, particularly in connection with submarine or marine work, but is co-mpelled to seek its way from the connection 5, even though the exhauster be inefficient or else to remain in the cell.

It will be 'obvious to those skilled in the art to which my invention relates/,that modiications may be made in details without departing from the spirit thereof, hence I do not limit my invention further than the prior state of the art may equire, but

Havingthus described t e nature and objects of my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a storage battery the combination of a closed cell, a suction outlet from the cell, and a dip seal constituting an air inlet and preventing the egress of gas, substantially as described.

2. In a storage battery the combination of a closed cell, a suction outlet for drawing gas and air from the cell, and an air inlet provided with a seal tube arranged to dip into the electrolyte, substantially as described.

3. The combination of a storage battery cell provided with an air inlet having' a fluid seal, a casing provided With a suction outlet, a barrel in the casing, a cap for closing the casing and turning the barrel, and the casing and barrel provided with openings for the normal passage of air from the air inlet through the barrel to the exhauster and for excluding air from the barrel during illing, substantially as described.

4. A storage battery cell having its cover provided with a lilling opening and with an air intake opening and each of said openings having a depending sleeve, said sleeves coperating to limit the level of the electrolyte, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto 20 signedmy name.

BRUCE FORD. 

